the very threat of spanking can cause children to behave. I know this from personal experience, my parents rarely spanked me, just telling them they would was usually enough. So yes, it can be effective.
–
jwentingApr 10 '11 at 15:06

Frequent use of CP (ie,
mother's use of spanking more than
twice in the previous month) when the
child was 3 years of age was
associated with increased risk for
higher levels of child aggression when
the child was 5 years of age (adjusted
odds ratio: 1.49 [95% confidence
interval: 1.2-1.8]; P < .0001), even
with controlling for the child's level
of aggression at age 3 and the
aforementioned potential confounding
factors and key demographic features.

The results indicate that parental CP
uniquely contributes to negative
behavioral adjustment in children at
both 36 months and at 1st grade, with
the effects at the earlier age more
pronounced in children with difficult
temperaments.

Despite strong evidence of negative
developmental outcomes resulting from
the use of physical (or corporal)
punishment with children, its use by
parents and other caregivers is
common. Such negative outcomes include
child aggression, mental health
issues, and physical abuse.

Research on very mild, infrequent
spanking (e.g., one time/month) is
inconclusive. When a parent moves
beyond that to moderate or severe
physical punishment, there are all
sorts of untoward
consequences—educational delays,
psychological disorders and physical
disorders, too.

In a presentation, she explained that
the group of 15 experts in child
development and psychology found
correlations between physical
punishment and an increase in
childhood anxiety and depression, an
increase in behavioral problems,
including aggression, and impaired
cognitive development—even when the
child’s prepunishment behavior and
development were taken into
consideration.

One out of the 15 experts on the task force disagreed with the conclusion and recommends spanking as a backup when other way of disciplining don't work

There seems to be a general consensus that corporal punishment can have a negative effect on the development of a child. As a consequence, parents should choose methods to discipline their children that have fewer negative effects.

When you researched the issue did you encounter anything about corporal punishment as a last resort, and do the studies studies say anything about how the child aggression carries over into adult life?
–
Kit SundeApr 9 '11 at 14:17

13

Just remember that all studies that found insignificant results between spanking and future aggressive behavior were never published.
–
GlenApr 9 '11 at 15:31

4

Although the studies focus on future negative side effects, they do not address the efficacy of the punishment in correcting the behaviors that they seeks to correct. Not to mention that I trust the APA as much as my dog after the recent publication of "human future-cognition" in an APA endorsed journal
–
crasicApr 9 '11 at 17:27